Rooted Update | Feb 1, 2023
This past summer, you voted on pursuing some architectural designs and site planning that would address our facility needs, and in October we presented those to you through Rooted. One of the most important aspects of Rooted was the invitation to prayerfully consider how the Lord was leading you to participate in raising the funds required to see these needs addressed.
As of Feb 1, 2023,
70 households have committed to contribute to Rooted through pledges, with a total pledged amount of over $1.6 million dollars to be given over the next three years. Praise God. You have been exceedingly generous. The total amount given specifically to Rooted including special gifts not associated with a pledge total to over $200,000. As your pastors, we can’t say how encouraged and grateful to the Lord we are for your faithfulness and generosity. To be able to say, three months from our initial announcement, that between pledges and one-time gifts we are at over $1.8 million is a testimony of God’s work among us. Can we praise God together?
So where does that leave us?
You may remember, the initial fundraising goal of Rooted was $10 million. This would fund all of the work represented in the drawings that are in Connections, including furnishing the space. With the pledges, one-time gifts, and the commitment of $2 million from our Restoration Church reserves, we are at $3.8 million toward that $10 million goal. This leaves us $6.2 million away from our original goal.
From day one, we’ve endeavored to maintain a posture of dependence upon the Lord. Our desire has always been to submit to His will for our church. We want to accomplish His mission in us and through us, discipling our children, equipping us for the ministry to which He’s called us, being a sending church, raising up and sending out missionaries to our neighborhoods, to our work places, planting churches, and sending missionaries to the nations. Facility expansion has always been aimed at accomplishing His mission—not to create a more comfortable space for us.
The Invitation
So, this gets us to the point where we move from update to invitation. With $6.2 million remaining of our original goal, we are in a place of needing to hear clearly from the Lord. In the history of God’s people, there have been times and seasons where the people of God have entered into a season of prayer and fasting for clarity around his will. So, for the month of February, we are inviting you to join us for a month of dedicated prayer and fasting.
The hope is that God would grant us greater dependence upon Him and greater unity with one another as we draw near to Him in prayer. We are asking that God would give us wisdom and direction as we desire to submit to His will regarding facility expansion and our Rooted campaign. Would you pray with us as we seek God’s will together?
We have put together a page on the website with resources on prayer and fasting as an aid to those of us who are new to the discipline of prayer and fasting: restorationtx.com/prayer
We have also created a daily prayer guide to help direct our prayers together. Each day has a theme, Scripture to consider/pray, and a specific focus to pray for regarding Rooted. You can access a digital version on the site, or pick one up on Sunday morning.
Finally, on February 24 at 7 p.m., we will gather together for a time of corporate singing and prayer, where we will seek God’s face together.
Our hope is that by the end of February, the Lord will have given clarity on Rooted. Perhaps there are some who have not submitted a pledge who feel compelled to do so. Our 70 households who have pledged represent only about ⅓ of regular givers at Restoration Church. If the Lord leads you to pledge, praise God. If we see that the Lord is leading us to refine (or change altogether) our plans for expansion, we will trust His faithful leading.
Above all, our hope is that God will unite us together by His Spirit, and draw us closer to himself as we commit to pray and fast together.
If you have any questions, please feel free to ask. Let's seek the Lord together!
Thank you,
Restoration Church Elders
